Perfect Picks 2026: New ORleans Saints
By Jack Brentnall
The 2025 season started off rocky for the New Orleans Saints, but they ended the year strongly and should be optimistic for the future. Kellen Moore was impressive in his first year as a head coach and Tyler Shough stunned the league with his performance. These two helped lead the Saints to winning four of their last five games.
Despite this success, there is still work for the Saints to do on both sides of the ball. It’s crucial they nail the NFL Draft and carry this late season momentum into 2026.
This Perfect Picks article explores what an ideal draft could look like if the board breaks the right way. Rather than predicting draft weekend outcomes, the focus is on fit, value, and long-term roster construction, identifying prospects who align with the team’s needs at each stage of the draft.
The selections below account for scheme, roster holes, and realistic draft ranges, moving from early-round building blocks to mid-round value and late-round upside.
Round 1 - Makai Lemon (WR, USC)
The most important task for the Saints’ offseason is to surround Tyler Shough with as many playmakers as possible. 2026 is a major year in deciding whether he’s their franchise quarterback moving forward, or if they need to invest this offseason. The front office can’t leave anything up to chance; they have to find a definitive answer.
Chris Olave is a star when healthy, however, the Saints are lacking a supporting class around him. They went into the season with a loaded group, but a pair of midseason moves, trading Rashid Shaheed and cutting Brandin Cooks, has left them desperately needing additions. This was evident in Week 18 when Shough was stranded with Ronnie Bell, Kevin Austin, and Dante Pettis as the remaining healthy players.
Adding Makai Lemon would be a dynamic complement to Olave and would give Shough an explosive playmaker. Lemon isn’t the fastest player, but he has exceptional short-area burst, which makes him challenging to keep up with. He’s a twitchy route runner and understands how to effectively stem a defender to create separation. Additionally, he has reliable hands that rarely drop the ball.
Lemon isn’t the biggest player, only standing 5’11” and 195 pounds. He can struggle against physical corners – Leonard Moore caused him problems in the Notre Dame game – and this could force him to move in the slot. Regardless, he’s a dynamic receiver with a knack for creating separation and would be a perfect weapon for Tyler Shough.
Round 2 - Zion Young (EDGE, Missouri)
The 2026 NFL Draft edge rusher class is intriguing because there are lots of specialized options. What I mean by that is lots of prospects are outstanding pass rushers, but may struggle against the run or vice versa. That makes a defender like Zion Young stand out as someone who can thrive as both a run defender and pass rusher.
This archetype of player is exactly what the Saints need on the defensive line. Chase Young is fantastic, but the futures around Cam Jordan and Carl Granderson are both uncertain, so grabbing someone like Zion Young in the draft would be wise.
As mentioned above, Young can impact the game in a variety of ways, but excels in the run game. He’s physically dominant and has the strength to throw opposing lineman around. He is constantly penetrating the backfield and is a nightmare for an offensive coordinator to game plan around.
Young has the potential to be an outstanding pass rusher, but still needs some development. He flashes elite hand usage, power, and speed, but still needs to be more consistent. Oftentimes he doesn’t have a pass rush plan, which can lead to a stagnant rush. If he can improve this, he has the chance to become a premier defender in the NFL.
Mid Round Gem - Brenen Thompson (WR, Mississippi State)
There’s no reason the Saints can’t double dip in a deep receiver class. They lost their primary speedster in Rashid Shaheed this year, so why not replace him with the fastest player in college football?
There’s a legit possibility Brenen Thompson breaks the 40-yard dash record at the NFL Combine. He ran a stellar 10.22 100-yard dash in high school, which translates to the field. There are numerous instances of him torching a defender off the line. Thompson is gone for a touchdown if a safety doesn’t help over the top.
Thompson still needs improvement as a route runner, but has shown flashes of greatness. He’s more developed than previous deep threats that haven’t worked out. His small stature (5’9”, 170 lbs) will scare some teams off, but his explosiveness warrants a mid-round selection.
Late Round Sleeper - Jadon Canady (CB, Oregon)
Jadon Canady impressed at the East-West Shrine Bowl and made his case as an enticing slot cornerback. The 5’11”, 185 lbs player showcased his impressive movement skills against quicker receivers and proved that he can be a shutdown player.
The slot is a position of need for the Saints this offseason. Alontae Taylor has held down the slot in recent years but is now an unrestricted free agent they may choose to cut ties with. This makes it a necessary spot to address this offseason.
Draft in full
8 (R1) – Makai Lemon (WR, USC)
42 (R2) – Zion Young (EDGE, Missouri)
73 (R3) – Emmett Johnson (HB, Nebraska)
132 (R4) – Kage Casey (IOL, Boise State)
137 (R4) – Brenen Thompson (WR, Mississippi State)
148 (R5) – Jadon Canady (CB, Oregon)
170 (R5) – Zane Durant (DT, Penn State)
189 (R6) – Cole Wisniewski (S, Texas Tech)
